Free Fortune Cookie by Jean Ure

says we’ll get the money somehow. She says we’ll think of something. But I don’t know what we can do!”
    â€œYou could always find a treasure map,” said Rosie.
    I hadn’t realised she was there. I turned on her, “Don’t be so stupid!”
    â€œI’m not being stupid, it’s what people do. They find treasure maps and go and dig up the treasure.”
    â€œIn your dreams!” I said.
    â€œIn books ,” said Rosie.
    I made an impatient scoffing sound.
    â€œDani, she’s only trying to help,” said Mum.
    She wasn’t trying to help; she was being stupid . I went off in a huff and when she knocked at mybedroom door a few minutes later and demanded to be let in I nearly told her to get lost, except if I had she’d only have gone running to Mum. I opened the door a crack and glowered at her. “What do you want?”
    â€œI want to give you something.”
    â€œWhat?”
    She stuck her hand through the door. “For Cookie.”
    â€œWhat is it?”
    â€œFor Cookie!” She pushed a bit of crumpled paper at me. I stared, disbelievingly. It was a five-pound note! My annoying little spoilt brat of a sister had given me a five-pound note .
    â€œI was saving it up,” she said, “but you can have it.”
    I couldn’t believe it. I asked Mum, later, if it was OK for me to keep it.
    â€œOf course it is,” said Mum. “I didn’t put her up to it; it was entirely her own idea. And while we’re at it, here’s a little something from me as well.”
    A whole tenner! I cried, “Oh, Mum, thank you,thank you, thank you!” and flung my arms round her.
    â€œThat’s all right,” said Mum. “It’s the least I can do. I just hope you manage to raise the rest of the money.”
    I told Mum that we had to; I was already ashamed of being so negative. I actually rang Cupcake and apologised. “You’re right,” I said, “we’ll get the money somehow. Even if it means robbing a bank!”
    Of course, we didn’t rob a bank; but we were about to embark on our life of crime…

CHAPTER SIX
    Miracles do happen! I’d said so to Cupcake, and she hadn’t believed me. But they do – and one did! It happened to me and Cupcake the very next day, in Cupcake’s back garden. Not that we immediately recognised it as a miracle. It wasn’t like we suddenly discovered a load of buried treasure or a wad ofbanknotes tossed over the fence. I don’t think miracles are ever that simple. I think what they do is, they point the way, like a sort of signpost: FOLLOW THIS PATH . And then it’s up to you whether you follow it or not. Sometimes, probably, with a lot of people, they don’t even notice. It just goes to show, you have to be on the lookout.
    What happened with me and Cupcake, we were in the garden playing with Cookie and racking our brains how to make more money. Cupcake had a pen and a notepad and was writing a list. So far the list had three things on it:
    Sponsored run
    Sponsored sing
    Sponsored sit
    The run was my idea; the singing was Cupcake’s. But since I can’t sing and Cupcake’s no use at running, we reckoned we might as well cross them off before we even started. So then we thought maybe we could spend the whole of lunch break sitting absolutely still,like statues, and people could come and watch us and pay us money for every minute we didn’t twitch.
    I said, “That way, the whole school could give us money… we could make hundreds!”
    â€œLike last time,” said Cupcake. “We were going to make hundreds last time.”
    â€œYes, but that was just our year group. This would be the whole school!”
    Cupcake said, “Mm… maybe.”
    I knew I hadn’t convinced her. I wasn’t really convinced myself. I sighed, and tossed Cookie’s ball for him. He scampered after it, on three legs,